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Florida Teen Expelled, Charged With Felony For Lesbian Relationship

A Florida family says their 18-year-old daughter was charged with a felony and expelled from high school as a result of a consensual, same-sex relationship with another student.

Kaitlyn Hunt started dating a female classmate at the beginning of the school year when she was 17 and the girl she was dating was about three years younger. According to an account posted to Facebook by Kaitlyn’s mother, in February, shortly after Kaitlyn turned 18, she was arrested on felony charges at the behest of her girlfriend’s parents. The specific crime was “sexual battery on a person 12-16 years old.”

Kaitlyn’s mother believes the charges were motivated by anti-gay animus:
They were out to destroy my daughter, they feel like my daughter “made” their daughter gay. They are bigoted, religious zeolites [sic] that see being gay as a sin and wrong, and they blame my daughter.

But Kaitlyn’s problems did not end there. Her girlfriends’s parents appealed to the school board and had her expelled from Sebastian River High School. Kaitlyn’s mom reports that the State Attorney, Brian Workman, has offered Kaitlyn a plea deal “of two years house arrest and one year probation.” Kaitlyn has until next Friday to accept the plea deal or face a trial.

The family has started a petition calling on the state attorney to drop the charges against Kaitlyn.

Hate to say it, but that is equal treatment. There are plenty of cases of eighteen and nineteen year old men being prosecuted for having sex with fifteen and sixteen year old girlfriends.

She's eighteen, the girlfriend is fifteen, in most states that is either close to illegal or downright illegal. I think it should be judged on a case by case basis, sometimes I am sure the younger person is being taken advantage of, and sometimes they are not, but I am definitely not wise enough to make that distinction.

Hate to say it, but that is equal treatment. There are plenty of cases of eighteen and nineteen year old men being prosecuted for having sex with fifteen and sixteen year old girlfriends.

She's eighteen, the girlfriend is fifteen, in most states that is either close to illegal or downright illegal. I think it should be judged on a case by case basis, sometimes I am sure the younger person is being taken advantage of, and sometimes they are not, but I am definitely not wise enough to make that distinction.

Kaitlyn Hunt, gay Fla. teen charged for underage girlfriend

from cfnews13.com:

SEBASTIAN --
An 18-year-old Florida cheerleader in Indian River County is facing felony charges that she had sexual contact with her underage, 14-year-old girlfriend, leading gay rights advocates to say the teen is being unfairly targeted for a common high school romance because she's gay.

The criminal case against Kaitlyn Hunt is unusual because it involves two females, not an older male and a younger female. But advocates say older high schoolers dating their younger counterparts is an innocuous, everyday occurrence that is not prosecuted -- regardless of sexual orientation -- and not a crime on par with predatory sex offenses.

Hunt played on the Sebastian River High School basketball team with her younger girlfriend and shared the same circle of friends, said Hunt's mother, Kelley Hunt Smith. The high school is in Sebastian, just south of Brevard County.

The two had a consenting relationship that began soon after Kaitlyn Hunt turned 18, and Hunt Smith said she assumed the younger girl's parents knew that.

But Hunt was kicked off the basketball team near the end of last year after the coach learned of the relationship because players were not allowed to date each other, her parents said. Then, in February, she was charged with lewd and lascivious battery on a child 12 to 16. The day before she was arrested, police and the younger girl's parents secretly recorded a phone conversation in which the two girls discussed kissing in the school bathroom, said Hunt's father, Steve Hunt.

The alleged victim is identified only by her initials in court documents, and her parents have not been publicly identified. The AP does not identify alleged victims of sex crimes.

Kaitlyn Hunt, who hopes to become a nurse, declined to be interviewed and is scared, her father said. However, the family has received support from all over the world, with messages coming from as far away as New Zealand, the Netherlands and Canada, Steve Hunt said. He said he reads them to her to keep her spirits up, but she feels like she has let everyone down, he said through tears.

Prosecutors have offered a plea deal to Kaitlyn Hunt that would allow her to avoid registering as a sex offender if she pleads guilty to lesser charges of child abuse. State Attorney Bruce Colton said he would recommend two years of house arrest followed by one year probation if she takes the deal.

If she is found guilty, it's also possible that Hunt could apply to not have to register as a sex offender under a "Romeo and Juliet" law because the girls were no more than four years apart in age, Colton said.

Colton said the victim's family is not pushing for prison but wants Kaitlyn Hunt to be held responsible in some way. However, the Hunt family said they would accept a plea deal only if the charges are dropped to a misdemeanor.

"One of the reasons this case has gotten people's attention is because it's being publicized as a person being persecuted because she's gay, and that has nothing to do with the case, nothing to do with the law, nothing to do with the sheriff's office filing the charges," Colton said. He said the law is designed to protect younger children from older children who might be more aggressive in starting a relationship.

"The law doesn't make any differentiation. It doesn't matter if it's two girls or two boys, or an older boy and a younger girl or an older girl and a younger boy. Whatever the combination, it doesn't matter."

However, gay rights advocates aren't buying that. The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida said Kaitlyn Hunt is being criminalized for behavior that "occurs every day in tens of thousands of high schools across the country, yet those other students are not facing felony convictions ... and potential lifelong branding as sex offenders."

Her support extends beyond the ACLU. A "Free Kate" Facebook page has generated more than 30,000 followers so far, and an online petition urging that the charges be dropped crashed at one point because it got so much traffic. It now has more than 100,000 signatures. And during a press conference Monday, dozens of supporters showed up outside of the Indian River Sheriff's Department, many wearing T-Shirts that read "Stop the Hate, Free Kate" with rainbow hearts.

"It's very difficult under these circumstances when the defendant and the victim do not see what they're doing as a crime, but understandably the law is very clear that when someone is more than four years older than the victim and the victim is under the age of 16, then they cannot give legal consent," said New Jersey defense attorney Gregory Gianforcaro, who has represented victims and defendants on both sides of this issue.

Gianforcaro said that Hunt's case is clearly not a predatory situation and that prosecutors should consider that when they look at sentencing and plea bargains.

"This is a very uncommon situation because of the fact there are two women. However, if it were a man and a woman and there was more than four years of an age difference, it's very possible that that kind of situation would be pursued criminally as well," Gianforcaro said.

The family said Kaitlyn Hunt had been demonized by some, and they disabled her personal Facebook account to protect her from negative comments. At school in February, her 17-year-old sister spent a half-hour cleaning a mirror where someone had written a slur against women and other words including "rapist" and "disgusting," Steve Hunt said.

In the meantime, Kaitlyn Hunt has been attending an alternative school since her expulsion and will be allowed to walk with her class at graduation in June. Her mother said she was expelled by the school board even though a judge ruled she could stay.

Sebastian River High School's principal and assistant principal did not immediately respond to emails sent Tuesday.

hard to feel sorry for her as it states the relationship started after she turned 18. If it hadn't become sexual, then she probably wouldn't be in trouble right now. Maybe she felt because she wasn't an 18 year old boy, she was exempt.

I think I am inclined to agree with the courts on this one, however, if it's consensual, can we leave the sex offender list out of it? Just give her a misdemeanor, have her serve her probation and move on.

If when she is twenty she is caught with another fourteen year old, you know you have a problem and then you prosecute. Over simplification I know, but I would think common sense would prevail and she would not be put on a sex offender list for some finger banging in the girls bathroom.

These laws are a little problematic when you have students in the same school that have this age difference.

I think I am inclined to agree with the courts on this one, however, if it's consensual, can we leave the sex offender list out of it? Just give her a misdemeanor, have her serve her probation and move on.

If when she is twenty she is caught with another fourteen year old, you know you have a problem and then you prosecute. Over simplification I know, but I would think common sense would prevail and she would not be put on a sex offender list for some finger banging in the girls bathroom.

These laws are a little problematic when you have students in the same school that have this age difference.

Age of consent in Florida is 18. She's in trouble

"He has a swaggering retro machismo that will give hives to the Steinem cabal" -Camille Paglia on Donald Trump

"Make way for the bad guy"- Tony Montana

'This hamburger don't need no helper"- David Lee Roth

"I wish Bon Jovi would've given me a call before he recorded all of his hits, because the lyrics would've been smarter, the melodies would've been much more smashing, and they would've sold a lot fewer records." -David Lee Roth

"My beef is people thinking Bon Jovi is good cuz they sold lots of records to housewives." -tango

"But being number one doesn’t really mean jack fuck all. We sold twice as many records as other records that year (1984) that landed in the Number One position." ~Eddie Van Halen

The family of Kaitlyn Hunt wants prosecutors to reconsider the charges against their daughter. Under a plea deal on the table, she would face two years of house arrest and one year of probation for engaging in a physical relationship with her younger girlfriend, a student at a Sebastian, Fla., high school. Her mom says she’s no criminal and was being targeted, in part, because of her sexuality.

An 18-year-old Florida student’s senior year has become a nightmare — all because she was in a same-sex relationship with a 15-year-old, her family says.
Kaitlyn Hunt was arrested Feb. 16 for having a physical relationship with a younger classmate, who was her girlfriend at the time, mom Kelley Hunt Smith wrote on Facebook.
Under Florida law, Hunt could see up to 15 years in prison and must register as a sex offender. A plea deal, however, remains on the table that would give Hunt two years' house arrest and one year of probation, her family said.
“Does my daughter deserve to lose her life for 15 years, or 3 years, or to have no life, because of one choice she made in high school, absolutely not!!” Hunt Smith wrote Friday, adding, “This is a mother’s nightmare.”

The distraught mom and her family has launched an online campaign asking supporters to petition the State Attorney’s office in Indian River County and have them reconsider the charges.
“The (assistant) state attorney, Brian Workman needs to use taxpayers money to prosecute REAL criminals, not a high school student who has never been in trouble a day in her young life, all because she had a mutual consenting relationship with someone who has bigoted parents,” wrote Hunt Smith, who didn’t immediately return a call seeking comment Sunday.
Hunt’s uncle, Andrew Gay, told the Daily News that the girls were in the same social circle at Sebastian River High School and played together on the basketball team.
In September, after Hunt turned 18, she and the other girl, a freshman, began dating and expressed their relationship in “intimate ways,” the family said.
But when the basketball coach found out about their relationship, Hunt was thrown off the team and the other girl’s parents were notified.
The parents then told police, and a phone call was recorded between their daughter and Hunt in which the girls discussed their relationship, Gay said.
The age of consent in Florida is 18.
Hunt was arrested on two counts of felony lewd and lascivious battery on a child ages 12 to 16, jail records show.
Her family was devastated.
“We certainly aren’t saying that all 18-year olds anywhere should be able to date all 15-year olds,” Gay said. “But this is a situation where these two girls were in the same social circle, on the same basketball team. I just don’t think Kaitlyn looked at this girl and thought, 'She’s a certain age, so she’s off limits to me.'”

Hunt Smith claims the other family was upset because their daughter was in a same-sex relationship and believed that Hunt had somehow “made” their daughter gay.
“Of course I see it 100% different,” Hunt Smith wrote. “I don’t see or label these girls as gay. They are teenagers in high school experimenting with their sexuality, all teens do it in one form or another. ... And even if their daughter is gay, who cares, she is still their daughter.”
Hunt was expelled from the high school and agreed to have no contact with the other girl. She also transferred to an alternative high school.
Although she’ll be allowed to walk with the graduating class at Sebastian River High School, her final year — and future — has been tainted by scandal.
“Should the girls have made better choices, YES. I agree," Hunt Smith said, "but is this criminal, no."
The State Attorney’s Office in Indian River County couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.
Regardless of whether the family takes the plea, Gay said, a felony child abuse charge will ruin his niece’s future and her dream of one day becoming a nurse.
“She’s been a great student, so bright and not troubled at all,” Gay said. “She was voted ‘most school spirit.’ What’s happened to her now is ridiculous.”

Michael Caine on Jaws: The Revenge:

"I have never seen it, but by all accounts it is terrible. However, I have seen the house that it built and it is terrific."

I think I am inclined to agree with the courts on this one, however, if it's consensual, can we leave the sex offender list out of it? Just give her a misdemeanor, have her serve her probation and move on.

I think this is the worst that should happen. She clearly broke the law, but I bet the parents are just being tools. If that's the case this will only backfire on them in the future.

Michael Caine on Jaws: The Revenge:

"I have never seen it, but by all accounts it is terrible. However, I have seen the house that it built and it is terrific."

Game-Changing Bombshell? There’s a Major Twist in the Story About a High School Student’s Lesbian Relationship With a Minor.

As Kaitlyn Hunt’s legal battle looms, her family continues to passionately defend her. All-the-while, the “Free Kate” movement is doubling-down in an effort to support the 18-year-old — a high school senior who has been expelled and charged with two counts of lewd and lascivious battery of a child 12 to 16 years of age.

But now the family of the young girl she was dating is finally speaking up. And their account differs drastically from the one being touted by the Hunt family.

Laurie and Jim Smith told WPEC-TV that they aren’t the type of people who would normally go to the media and, to date, they have been silent regarding the alleged scandal that involves their 15-year-old daughter. The young, unnamed girl was, until earlier this year, dating Hunt.

Their comments are intriguing, as WPEC-TV claims that the Smith family’s revelations include a “bombshell that will likely turn this investigation on its head.”

And here it apparently is: “Our daughter was 14, and this girl was 18,” Jim told the outlet, clarifying previous inconsistencies surrounding the teens’ ages at the time of their relationship (previously, Hunt’s mother, Kelley, had written in a Facebook post that her daughter was 17 when the relationship began).

According to Laurie, she and her husband told Hunt that the relationship wasn’t right and, by their account, the older teen refused to listen. The “Free Kate” mantra, the Smiths maintain, hasn’t been an accurate one thus far.

“It’s not the way it was. It was quite different,” she said. “We had actually told Miss Hunt that this was wrong.”

The high schooler was allegedly warned twice.

.“Another adult, a mother, came to me and said ‘Ms. Smith you need to know this…we told Miss Hunt to leave your daughter alone. But they are in a relationship, and she’s 18.’ 18? My daughter is only 14.”

When their daughter began acting out, as many teens do, she ran away. Jim called the shock “the worst thing” that he has ever experienced. Assuming that she wouldn’t have willingly fled, the parents initially assumed that someone took her — but that wasn’t the case.

After being told to stay away from their daughter, Kate purportedly picked up the 14-year-old. Because the relationship apparently didn’t stop, despite the aforementioned warnings, the Smiths said they had no choice but to turn to the law.

As far as the issue of homosexuality goes, Laurie and Jim seemed perplexed in their WPEC-TV interview. While they have been painted as anti-gay in media and slapped with allegations that they blame Hunt for their daughter’s sexuality, the embattled parents said that this isn’t how they feel about the issue.

“They made me seem as if I’m a monster,” Laurie said of bloggers’ attacks, noting that she and her husband have turned to the media to get their story out. “That’s why I’m talking to you…The stories that people are saying…I love my daughter and I am willing to do whatever to protect her.”

Earlier today, the 18-year-old refused a plea deal, which would have given her two years house arrest, one additional year of probation and a charge of child abuse. Hunt will have a June 20 court hearing; she could face up to 15 years behind bars

"He has a swaggering retro machismo that will give hives to the Steinem cabal" -Camille Paglia on Donald Trump

"Make way for the bad guy"- Tony Montana

'This hamburger don't need no helper"- David Lee Roth

"I wish Bon Jovi would've given me a call before he recorded all of his hits, because the lyrics would've been smarter, the melodies would've been much more smashing, and they would've sold a lot fewer records." -David Lee Roth

"My beef is people thinking Bon Jovi is good cuz they sold lots of records to housewives." -tango

"But being number one doesn’t really mean jack fuck all. We sold twice as many records as other records that year (1984) that landed in the Number One position." ~Eddie Van Halen

Game-Changing Bombshell? There’s a Major Twist in the Story About a High School Student’s Lesbian Relationship With a Minor.

As Kaitlyn Hunt’s legal battle looms, her family continues to passionately defend her. All-the-while, the “Free Kate” movement is doubling-down in an effort to support the 18-year-old — a high school senior who has been expelled and charged with two counts of lewd and lascivious battery of a child 12 to 16 years of age.

But now the family of the young girl she was dating is finally speaking up. And their account differs drastically from the one being touted by the Hunt family.

Laurie and Jim Smith told WPEC-TV that they aren’t the type of people who would normally go to the media and, to date, they have been silent regarding the alleged scandal that involves their 15-year-old daughter. The young, unnamed girl was, until earlier this year, dating Hunt.

Their comments are intriguing, as WPEC-TV claims that the Smith family’s revelations include a “bombshell that will likely turn this investigation on its head.”

And here it apparently is: “Our daughter was 14, and this girl was 18,” Jim told the outlet, clarifying previous inconsistencies surrounding the teens’ ages at the time of their relationship (previously, Hunt’s mother, Kelley, had written in a Facebook post that her daughter was 17 when the relationship began).

According to Laurie, she and her husband told Hunt that the relationship wasn’t right and, by their account, the older teen refused to listen. The “Free Kate” mantra, the Smiths maintain, hasn’t been an accurate one thus far.

“It’s not the way it was. It was quite different,” she said. “We had actually told Miss Hunt that this was wrong.”

The high schooler was allegedly warned twice.

.“Another adult, a mother, came to me and said ‘Ms. Smith you need to know this…we told Miss Hunt to leave your daughter alone. But they are in a relationship, and she’s 18.’ 18? My daughter is only 14.”

When their daughter began acting out, as many teens do, she ran away. Jim called the shock “the worst thing” that he has ever experienced. Assuming that she wouldn’t have willingly fled, the parents initially assumed that someone took her — but that wasn’t the case.

After being told to stay away from their daughter, Kate purportedly picked up the 14-year-old. Because the relationship apparently didn’t stop, despite the aforementioned warnings, the Smiths said they had no choice but to turn to the law.

As far as the issue of homosexuality goes, Laurie and Jim seemed perplexed in their WPEC-TV interview. While they have been painted as anti-gay in media and slapped with allegations that they blame Hunt for their daughter’s sexuality, the embattled parents said that this isn’t how they feel about the issue.

“They made me seem as if I’m a monster,” Laurie said of bloggers’ attacks, noting that she and her husband have turned to the media to get their story out. “That’s why I’m talking to you…The stories that people are saying…I love my daughter and I am willing to do whatever to protect her.”

Earlier today, the 18-year-old refused a plea deal, which would have given her two years house arrest, one additional year of probation and a charge of child abuse. Hunt will have a June 20 court hearing; she could face up to 15 years behind bars

This is a major twist?

Putting aside the fact that they're lesbians, parents and teens have been going through this forever. In the end it is probably going to damage the now 15 year old girls relationship with her parents. Kate on the other hand had to learn the hard way I guess.

I think child abuse (as we normally think of it, but that's why they call it statutory rape) might be going too far, but there are countless men in jail for the same crime and have their record permanently stained as a sex offender, so she is no different.

If it was an 18 year old boy and a 14 year old girl, public opinion would probably be a lot different--there certainly wouldn't be widespread public support for the guy like there is here (unless he was captain of the state championship football team).

If people want to rethink statutory rape laws, I'm all for it. Up until about 150 years ago, 15 years old was considered child bearing age. We think of it as sick now, but old men marrying young women (girls) was common for tens of thousands of years. Of course if you point out this fact, people raise an eyebrow and think you are a pedophile, which is why the laws are so strict. No one wants to be the one pushing for legislation to allow this type of thing.

I think child abuse (as we normally think of it, but that's why they call it statutory rape) might be going too far, but there are countless men in jail for the same crime and have their record permanently stained as a sex offender, so she is no different.

If it was an 18 year old boy and a 14 year old girl, public opinion would probably be a lot different--there certainly wouldn't be widespread public support for the guy like there is here (unless he was captain of the state championship football team).

If people want to rethink statutory rape laws, I'm all for it. Up until about 150 years ago, 15 years old was considered child bearing age. We think of it as sick now, but old men marrying young women (girls) was common for tens of thousands of years. Of course if you point out this fact, people raise an eyebrow and think you are a pedophile, which is why the laws are so strict. No one wants to be the one pushing for legislation to allow this type of thing.

Exactly. The parents of the 18 year old are mounting an unfair campaign against these people. Is it a surprise that the usual suspects are jumping to take up their cause? Trying to make it a gay issue is just flat out disgusting. This girl was told to back off even before they knew she was an ADULT. She chose to disregard their wishes with the help of her own parents. The law is the law and there are plenty of males that have been punished for the same thing. A discussion can be had about changing laws later. Right now, it's time for her to accept responsibility.

"He has a swaggering retro machismo that will give hives to the Steinem cabal" -Camille Paglia on Donald Trump

"Make way for the bad guy"- Tony Montana

'This hamburger don't need no helper"- David Lee Roth

"I wish Bon Jovi would've given me a call before he recorded all of his hits, because the lyrics would've been smarter, the melodies would've been much more smashing, and they would've sold a lot fewer records." -David Lee Roth

"My beef is people thinking Bon Jovi is good cuz they sold lots of records to housewives." -tango

"But being number one doesn’t really mean jack fuck all. We sold twice as many records as other records that year (1984) that landed in the Number One position." ~Eddie Van Halen

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